Balas appointed as new principal at Wakefield

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Arlington has three high schools and two mid-size high school programs so his past statement is not entirely relevant to APS. Wakefield should be a very good fit, with less stress.

Interestingly, Wakefield manages open campus lunch much better than in Alexandria, despite similar demographics. Wakefield is a much smaller school than ACHS, which might have something to do with it. I think Alexandria could really benefit from two high schools with all the growth.

Less stress? You think having a student die of an overdose, and another APS student break in to the school to hunt down another student, is not stressful? Both of these things happened at Wakefield this year. Pay attention.

Sadly, ACHS has dealt with many more incidents of a similar nature. I mean, last academic year ended with reverting to weeks of virtual school after one student killed another after dismissal and there were concerns about retaliatory action such that they couldn’t even hold in person school on campus safely. And nothing is changing within the system to create long-lasting improvements. There a lot more systemic barriers within ACPS than APS.

Oh, that is horrific, I’m sorry, I didn’t know. How did Mr. Balas handle that entire situation? I’m concerned that due to the systemic… deficiencies in the Alexandria system, he is used to not timely calling the police, not being transparent, and aiding efforts to sweep significant incidents under the rug, and he would likewise portray this to all staff. This is REALLY not someone I want for APS, but I’m glad to hear otherwise?

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/10/01/just-in-principal-at-alexandria-city-high-school-addresses-in-school-violence-and-re-socialization-pressure/

a picture is worth a thousand words. But the article and comments are revealing as well.

[Anonymous]

What are his views on grading for equity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are his views on grading for equity?

I don’t think ACPS / ACHS has implemented it yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are his views on grading for equity?

Great question for Wakefield parents to ask him. Based on his position and statements on related issues...parents and teachers should assume that he is for it and will support it completely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are his views on grading for equity?

Great question for Wakefield parents to ask him. Based on his position and statements on related issues...parents and teachers should assume that he is for it and will support it completely.

He’s probably still getting a feel for the culture at Wakefield. I’m sure he will take the teachers’ and parents’ concerns about the new grading/etc policies very seriously, and advocate for them as any good principal would. In the end some modest equity measures will probably be implemented, but nothing revolutionary. But it’s up to the parents and teachers to impress on him what they value in a Wakefield education.

[Anonymous]

I’d love to interview Principal Balas in a year, maybe two, about his perspective on how the two systems vary… or not. I imagine he could point to some dysfunction in the ACPS system that doesn’t exist (or at least is less dysfunctional) in APS. Probably some things the other way around.

[Anonymous]

In December there was a massive fight / brawl at the MH Campus of ACHS. The MH campus principal was at his wits end and asked assailants be arrested. Some of them were multiple repeat offenders. Balas could be heard on the radio telling the MH campus principal to back down on arrest. None of them were arrested and charged. The absolute void of a discipline system at ACHS is at the core of its problems. Balas does not believe in discipline. Good riddance. It can’t get any worse for ACHS, but can for Wakefield. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are his views on grading for equity?

Great question for Wakefield parents to ask him. Based on his position and statements on related issues...parents and teachers should assume that he is for it and will support it completely.

He’s probably still getting a feel for the culture at Wakefield. I’m sure he will take the teachers’ and parents’ concerns about the new grading/etc policies very seriously, and advocate for them as any good principal would. In the end some modest equity measures will probably be implemented, but nothing revolutionary. But it’s up to the parents and teachers to impress on him what they value in a Wakefield education.

Why are you sure of this when his record at ACHS shows otherwise? Genuinely curious.

He's all in for equity measures like grading for equity and has a record of deliberately covering up violence at Minnie Howard and ACHS. Why would he do things differently at Wakefield?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In December there was a massive fight / brawl at the MH Campus of ACHS. The MH campus principal was at his wits end and asked assailants be arrested. Some of them were multiple repeat offenders. Balas could be heard on the radio telling the MH campus principal to back down on arrest. None of them were arrested and charged. The absolute void of a discipline system at ACHS is at the core of its problems. Balas does not believe in discipline. Good riddance. It can’t get any worse for ACHS, but can for Wakefield. Good luck.

And then there was the Minnie Howard bathroom rape. He made a choice not to inform parents of that. Of course he had help from the Mayor, City Council and School Board in covering that one up.

[Anonymous]

Well, he’s going to have to pivot at Wakefield. It’s the Hispanic parents who want more discipline. They have asked for SROs to be reinstated. They want the kids who are violent, abusing drugs, etc. to be thrown out. Safety matters to them. They risked their lives to get to the US to give their kids a better life. They don’t want them to die in a bathroom at their HS because nobody was allowed to step in before things got out of control. The real racism is lowering expectations for academic and behavior in the name of “equity.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, he’s going to have to pivot at Wakefield. It’s the Hispanic parents who want more discipline. They have asked for SROs to be reinstated. They want the kids who are violent, abusing drugs, etc. to be thrown out. Safety matters to them. They risked their lives to get to the US to give their kids a better life. They don’t want them to die in a bathroom at their HS because nobody was allowed to step in before things got out of control. The real racism is lowering expectations for academic and behavior in the name of “equity.”

Ironically, he's very pro-SRO (according the ACPS' own surveys Black parents and Hispanic parents are overwhelmingly in support of SROs and weapons screening, it's the White parents who aren't).

But he's also enthusiastic about restorative justice practices which has a significant negative impact on behavior and violence according to various studies. And as a PP shared...he's refused to discipline repeat violent offenders in the schools.

And the culture of ACPS and Alexandria city is anti-parent. And he has been deeply steeped in that culture. I hope for Wakefield he does pivot, but don't expect it.

If APS wants equity grading...he won't fight against it and will likely be a cheerleader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In December there was a massive fight / brawl at the MH Campus of ACHS. The MH campus principal was at his wits end and asked assailants be arrested. Some of them were multiple repeat offenders. Balas could be heard on the radio telling the MH campus principal to back down on arrest. None of them were arrested and charged. The absolute void of a discipline system at ACHS is at the core of its problems. Balas does not believe in discipline. Good riddance. It can’t get any worse for ACHS, but can for Wakefield. Good luck.

That was awful. But isn’t there a chance that his hands were tied by ACPS on that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In December there was a massive fight / brawl at the MH Campus of ACHS. The MH campus principal was at his wits end and asked assailants be arrested. Some of them were multiple repeat offenders. Balas could be heard on the radio telling the MH campus principal to back down on arrest. None of them were arrested and charged. The absolute void of a discipline system at ACHS is at the core of its problems. Balas does not believe in discipline. Good riddance. It can’t get any worse for ACHS, but can for Wakefield. Good luck.

That was awful. But isn’t there a chance that his hands were tied by ACPS on that?

The MH principal didn't think so. Clearly they'd thought it through since it was a bunch of repeat offenders.

I can't imagine that order was the first time for Balas given his equity positions and what the people who work directly for him tell parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In December there was a massive fight / brawl at the MH Campus of ACHS. The MH campus principal was at his wits end and asked assailants be arrested. Some of them were multiple repeat offenders. Balas could be heard on the radio telling the MH campus principal to back down on arrest. None of them were arrested and charged. The absolute void of a discipline system at ACHS is at the core of its problems. Balas does not believe in discipline. Good riddance. It can’t get any worse for ACHS, but can for Wakefield. Good luck.

That was awful. But isn’t there a chance that his hands were tied by ACPS on that?

It’s possible law enforcement ties his hands (common during an active pending investigation). I think people also forget it may have been sone to protect the victims. Widespread public disclosure of a sexual assault can be really traumatic for victims.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are his views on grading for equity?

Great question for Wakefield parents to ask him. Based on his position and statements on related issues...parents and teachers should assume that he is for it and will support it completely.

Yes, that’s how I’m reading it as well. Which then interestingly would go directly against the Wakefield teachers’ letter. Also, I noted that when asked about his response to increased school violence at ACHS, he said one of his actions was to meet with their equity team(!). So yes, sounds like he is 100% for anything in the name of equity including the new grading system.